Surel's Place

Flash Show: Body and Devotion
2025-04-26 12:00 - 16:00, 2025-04-27 12:00 - 16:00 (America/Boise) | Surel’s Place, 212 E. 33rd Street, Garden City, 83714, United States
Featuring Maiyan Linane, Ashley Larson, Kamryn Rose, and Michael Candelaria.

This Flash Show is in collaboration with Backyard Artists. Backyard Artists empowers emerging artists in Idaho’s Treasure Valley by providing professional opportunities through community-driven exhibitions, literary events, project grants, and strategic partnerships.

Schedule:Friday, April 25, Opening Reception, 6pm – 8:30pmSaturday, April 26, Gallery Hours, 12pm – 4pmSunday, April 27, Gallery Hours, 12pm – 4pm

"Heavy Weather:" Garth Claassen Open Gallery Hours
2025-10-05 10:00 - 13:00
FLASH SHOW GALLERY HOURSHEAVY WEATHER with GARTH CLAASSENSunday, October 5th | 10:00am – 1:00pm

free

at Surel’s Place: 212 E. 33rd Street in Garden City

ARTIST STATEMENT

I work a lot in mixed media and often make pieces that consist of multiple, regular parts. The layout is somewhat like the panels in a comic book or graphic novel, and it implies a narrative, although there is no coherent story arc. Sometimes small printouts of earlier works are collaged onto pieces along with related sketches, other images, and simple abstract shapes. I am interested in process, specifically the exploitation of chance textures that arise during the making of the work.

Much of my work explores the tension between flat shapes and modeled forms, jagged and rounded contours, strong value contrasts, and dramatic changes in scale. This sense of struggle and conflict prompted my exhibition title, Heavy Weather. The bulbous white forms were partly inspired by Alfred Jarry’s King Ubu, a comically vulgar and satirical play first performed in 1895. The flatter black shapes are partly indebted to Eugene Ionescu’s absurdist play, Rhinoceros, of 1950. The former play was probably a critique of imperialism and corruption, and the latter is considered an allegory of the rise of fascism, but I have made no attempt to illustrate the plot of either play.

The ambiguity of the imagery is not intended to confuse the beholder (although it may do that). Rather, it is an invitation to viewers to construct their own stories based on what they see in my work.

BIOGRAPHY

Garth Claassen studied art at the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, earning a BAFA in 1976, with majors in ceramics, art history, and English, and then a Postgraduate Diploma in Fine Arts.

In 1982 Claassen was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to study art history at Indiana University in Bloomington, graduating in 1991 with a doctorate in the history of modern art. During his time at Indiana, he continued to make ceramic sculpture, and mixed-media abstract collages. In 1989 he returned to South Africa and taught there for five years. Claassen joined The College of Idaho in 1994. He taught art history, life drawing, and painting. His attitude to making art has been deeply influenced by his academic studies and teaching experience.

Claassen’s work has been included in three Idaho Triennial Exhibitions—1995, 1998, 2011, and he was awarded Idaho Commission of the Arts Fellowships for 2001, 2009, and 2023. He has exhibited at the College of Idaho, the College of Southern Idaho, the Stewart Gallery in Boise, the Boise Art Museum, the Visual Arts Collective in Garden City, MING Studios in Boise, the Art Association Gallery, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, Montana, and the Prichard Gallery, University of Idaho.

BIENNIAL PARTEE & SHRINKY DINK ART AUCTION
2026-06-06 18:00 - 21:00
FUNDRAISERSUREL’S PLACE BIENNIAL PARTEE & SHRINKY DINK ART AUCTIONSaturday, June 6th | 6:00pm – 9:00pm

$20 | Partee Admission$50 | Partee Admission + Dinner

GET TICKETS!

Get Ready. We only hold the Shrinky Dink Art Auction every other year, so if you miss it, you’ll have to wait two more years. What is it? It’s our biggest fundraiser that features the artwork of dozens of talented local artists who are asked to use (at first take) the unassuming, crafty, children’s art toy of Shrinky Dinks, which are bake-able, shrinkable plastic sheets. But, (at second take) the art material becomes limitless, elevated, surprising, and utterly creative. The ante always goes up, and this unusual art exhibition is not to miss.

On top of our Shrinky Dink Art Auction, we will parteeee with buskers, a DJ, a tarot card reader, refreshing food and beverages, a photo booth, and more. Dessert will be deliciously provided by a fellow nonprofit organization, Life’s Kitchen. Another festive aspect of the night: a live auction and paddle raise, so look forward to coming together to raise money for Surel’s Place while having a good time and celebrating art and community.

Oh, and the theme this year is Pop Art, so prepare for bold color, nods to popular culture, and soup cans 🙂

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

P.S. There is an art preview party the night before during the District-wide First Friday Art & Studio Stroll.

OUR SHRINKY DINK ARTISTS:

VIEW THE ARTWORK!

REHAM AARTIMICHAEL BALTZELLNICOLET BARCLAYHEATHER ELIZABETH BEEBRECKEN BIRDJULIE CLEMONSLISA FLOWERS ROSSRICK FRIESENANDREW GROTHELIZABETH HILTONNICOLE HITCHCOCKEMMA HOODSTEPHANIE INMANSHELLEY JUNDLAUREN KISTNERSUE LATTAJERRI LISKDEBORAH MARTELLBRIGETTE NELSONNANCY PANGANIBANEVAN SENDEROWICZJASON SIEVERSGIA STRANGJESSIE SWIMELEYRACHEL TEANNALACHANDREW TRAUBRANDY VAN DYCKWILLOW WELLS

THANK YOU TO OUR MEDIA SPONSOR:

OPENING RECEPTION: Illuminated by Fire
2026-09-24 17:30 - 20:30
EXHIBITIONILLUMINATED BY FIRE

OPENING RECEPTIONThursday, September 24th | 5:30pm – 8:30pm

GALLERY HOURSFriday, September 25th | by appointment (send request to info@surelsplace.org)Saturday, September 26th | 10:00am – 1:00pmSunday, September 27th | 10:00am – 1:00pm

FIRST FRIDAY ART AND STUDIO STROLLFriday, October 3rd | 5:30pm – 9:30pm

free

OPEN HOURS: Illumnated by Fire
2026-09-26 10:00 - 13:00

OPEN HOURS: Illuminated by Fire
2026-09-27 10:00 - 13:00
